9 dumbest reasons to pick a college

(MoneyWatch) About 1 in 3 U.S. college students end up transferring to another school. One key factor in all this moving around: Teenagers often choose colleges for the wrong reasons.

Your children will reduce their chances of such school-hopping if they avoid the nine dumbest reasons to pick a college. Here they are:

1. I won't attend an expensive school. According to a College Board survey, 59 percent of families eliminate schools based on price. That might sound  practical, but it can backfire. Some of the most expensive schools in the country are also the most generous. Price tags are meaningless; you can get a personalized estimate of what any school will cost by using its net price calculator. (Learn more here: How to find out what college will really cost).

2. I'm interested in the cheapest schools. The cheapest school price tags can be just as misleading. Schools with rock-bottom prices often sport dreadful four-year graduation rates. Choose a school with a low price and you might end up paying tuition for six years or more. According to the federal College Affordability and Transparency Center, West Virginia University at Parkersburg is one of the cheapest state universities in the country, with a tuition of just $2,076. Yet the four-year grad rate at the school is 21 percent, and 43 percent of freshman leave after the first year. 

3. I want to attend a highly ranked school. If you really believe that the 10th highest-ranked university as ranked by US News & World Report is superior to the 50th highest-ranked school, then you don't understand how warped college rankings are. (If you want to know why you shouldn't take your cues from the rankings, read "Why US News' college rankings are a joke.")

4. I want to attend a school with a winning sports team. Isn't it obvious why this isn't a good idea? A school's winning (or losing) basketball or football record has no connection to an institution's academic programs.

5. I'm going to my parents' alma mater. I've run into plenty of students who are expected to attend their mom or dad's school. Why should a student be required to go to an institution because of a parent's ties? If parents want to relive their college days, they should get their fix at reunions.

6. I want to avoid cold weather. I hear this a lot from Southern California students, who worry about frigid temperatures. Making temperate weather a requirement will eliminate most colleges and universities from consideration. As a practical matter, attending a school in a cold-weather climate isn't really a problem since snow removal is provided, no driving is required to get around campus, and dorms are heated -- toasty, even.

7. I need to stay nearby. Fifty-five percent of students attend school no more than 100 miles from their homes. Living so close can prevent students from fully experiencing college life because they are tempted to head home for the weekends.

8. I want to attend school with my boyfriend/girlfriend. Student life staffers urge freshman to start fresh and end romantic relationships before starting college. Imagine following a significant other to college only to break up. Not fun.

9. I need to live in a city. Plenty of students dream of attending a university in a city on the East or West Coast. But many of these schools are extremely expensive while providing poor financial aid. These schools don't have to be generous because so many students want to attend.

Image courtesy of Flickr user JoeinSouthernCA

[CollegeComplete]

These reasons are 100% accurate. Far too often people choose schools for the wrong reasons and regret it. Transferring is not so bad, but studies show that many people simply get a bad taste in their mouths and drop out all together. This is not only a problem with high school kids going to their first year of college but also adults who are deciding to go back to school. At CollegeComplete.com we try to help these adults find the right schools for them(our service is free but you must be 21 or older)

[Bocephus_Moonshine]

Going to a school in a cold climate will encourage you to stay inside and study, which is the reason you are going to school. However, with snow removal comes higher local taxes and fees. Locations in temperate climates tend to have lower taxes and fees.

[rwsmith29456]

"Everybody is going there!"

[credibility2]

...not included and it should be because I know of students that used this as a deciding factor..."Because it's a party school" or "Has hot chicks"...

[hypnotoad72]

#s 1 and 9 contradict each other.

Given the cost of transportation, living in the city can have some benefits, but in this new normal, it's pointless to buy a house if you have to sell it 5 years later and likely at a reduced cost, with you holding the tab for the rest of it... but who said economics is for the benefit of the working man?

[teflondonn]

"I want to stay nearby" has to be the most important one for the majority of students. I would add "and not moving back with your parents upon graduation". Unfortunately, the world has changed. With it being tough for new grads to get jobs, moving back home with mom and dad may be inevitable. However, going to school out of state seems to build an independence in people that the in-staters don't have. It's important for students to get away from their old friends and family for awhile and be able to form their own opinions about the world.

[Quiet_R_Bear]

My daughters must be the "exception" to your "rule" as the two youngest went to a local mid-west college and are very independent and the oldest went to an east coast college and has since moved back home.

[John782011]

My father-in-law who was a distinquished graduate from a good school and then the most presigeous law school of his time had an interesting observation. If two schools are on your list and one has a nationally recognized athletic program choose it as when you go across country, people will recognize it providing more opportunities to network.